Devices for recovering underwater objects, such as practice mines and torpedos, have undergone a sophisticated evolution. Generally, divers no longer need to grope about in cold, murky, deep water to affix hoisting lines to the expended devices. Marine mammals have shown an unusual ability for performing such tasks due to their improved eyesight, better respiratory cycles, and a variety of other reasons. Trainers have found after a short period of time that animals can be trained to locate a sunken device by homing-in on a source of sound carried on expended practice ordinance. When they got close enough to see it, they would attach the recovery device and a retrieval line. The grabber disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,941 issued to Ronald L. Seiple and entitled "Marine Mammal Underwater Attachment and Recovery Tool" served quite well during the recovery of a lightweight breed of practice torpedoes, however, care needed to be exercised in handling or the mechanism might become mechanically disabled. Reliable engagement was not assured unless it was aligned nearly perfectly. Marine sediment created problems and the recovery of ordinance partially buried in the ocean floor was difficult. Various other mechanisms have been designed with a greater weight lifting capability but they tend to be unduly complicated or too large for deployment by marine mammals. None of the known devices avail themselves of the mechanically proven ice tong principal released by a straight forward triggering device to engage an object and to grip heavier objects harder to further assure their recovery. Thus, there is a continuing need in the state-of-the-art for a highly reliable functional recovery device deployable to great depths by marine mammals.